


Friendly Competition

by secretninjagirl



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Feudal Japan AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 23:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4643658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretninjagirl/pseuds/secretninjagirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Midorima and Akashi compete in archery.  Inspired by this fanart: http://in0my0u.tumblr.com/post/123814169338/hmm</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendly Competition

Midorima released his arrow, sighing quietly as it barely nicked the edge of the leaf he had been aiming for, and instead thunked into the trunk of a tree a few feet behind.  To most people, his aim would have been frighteningly accurate.  But Akashi Seijuurou was not most people.  He had always had an uncanny ability to predict when the wind would rustle leaves, or push his arrow ever so slightly in its course.  He always managed to take these factors into account and release his arrow perfectly, as he did this time.  It sliced neatly through the center of the leaf and pinned it to a tree trunk not far behind.  Midorima sighed again.  Though he did everything in his power, he had never once won one of these competitions.  

“Perhaps we should compete in shogi instead,” Akashi proposed, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.  Midorima tried to swallow down the disappointment he should have been used to at this point.  

“I can’t say I see the point,” he said, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice.  “My skills in that area fall even further behind yours than they do here.”  An odd look crossed Akashi’s face at that statement.  

“I see no significant disparity in our skills,” he asserted.  “In fact,” he continued, “that is exactly why I keep proposing these competitions with you.”  Midorima could not help the look of surprise on his face at these statements.  “Your skills are great enough to present a challenge to me,” Akashi stated simply, “and furthermore, you don’t treat me differently because of who I am.”

Although Akashi was the only son of one of the most powerful families in Japan, dressed as he was currently, in a simple dark kimono and hakama, he might have almost been unassuming, if not for his red hair and eyes.  Eyes that were, Midorima realized with a start, looking directly at him.  He flushed slightly under the assumed scrutiny of that red gaze, and turned his attention to his arrows, counting them even though he knew exactly how many remained in his quiver.  

“Thank you,” Akashi said finally.  

“What?” Midorima asked, dumbfounded.  His companion’s face was graced with a small smile, an unusual expression for him.  “What for?”

“For being my friend,” Akashi replied.  

“It is my pleasure,” Midorima said finally, after floundering for a response.  And it really was a pleasure.  Akashi was the first person who had not judged him immediately for his interest in horoscopes, or treated him differently because of it.  Instead, Akashi engaged him in conversations that stretched his intellect the way no one else could, and practiced archery with him, despite the fact that it was considered much less prestigious than swordplay.  

“Maybe next time,” Akashi said as the walked back to retrieve their arrows.  Midorima realized, quite suddenly, that winning these competitions didn’t matter to him quite as much as he had thought it did.  What really mattered, he now realized, was the person next to him.  


End file.
